1. 2014 Detention for Detention

2. Last year more than 3000 students from EREA schools stood in solidarity with children being held in detention for seeking asylum in Australia

3. Australia is today locking up at least 776 children.

4. 169 of these children are detained on Christmas Island.

5. 193 children are detained on Nauru. They will never be resettled in Australia, even if found to be refugees.

6. 1525 are detained in the community und er residence determinations, a system referred to as Community Detention.

7. 1870 children are living in the community on Bridging Visas which mean their parents have no work rights and very limited access to any Government support

8. Seeking asylum is not illegal! It is not illegal to seek asylum without a visa. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that “Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution” (Article 14).

9. Australia is one of 147 countries to have signed the Refugee Convention which states refugees should have the right to choose their place of residence and to move freely within its territory, and that asylum seekers should not be penalised, including being arbitrarily put in detention

10. Australia is the only Refugee Convention signatory nation to have a policy of indefinite detention for asylum seekers, no matter what their age

11. In February 2013 the UNHCR called for 'an end to the practice of detaining children on Manus Island as a matter of priority'

12. Catholic Social Teaching states that all human beings have inherent dignity that must be maintained. The detainment of asylum seekers, and especially children, greatly diminishes their dignity. Catholic Social Teaching also calls us all to stand in solidarity with those whose dignity has been denied.

13. On October 17 this year, more than 30 EREA schools from Australia and New Zealand will stand in solidarity with children being held in detention everywhere.

14. Join us by taking a voluntary lunchtime detention this Friday in the……… and add your voice to the millions calling for more compassionate treatment for asylum seekers in Australia